Postponed
by SamKo
Summary: Thank you for calling the Cafe Mew Mew. Please wait one moment while I put you on hold.
1. Prologuesort of

Written by Sammi, not Kody.

Disclaimer: If I owned Tokyo Mew Mew, do you think I'd be posting stories on this website, let alone posting a disclaimer?

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Typical day at Café Mew Mew. Zakuro's scaring customers, Mint's drinking tea, and Ichigo's complaining about Mint. Lettuce and Pudding are putting on a double whammy: Lettuce drops the plates, Pudding catches them and/or juggles them. They make twice the pay that way.

Pudding-Ooh, narrator rhymed, na no da! Pay and way, no da!

Fourth wall: shattered.

Anyway, everything's typical. Ryou is doing research and Keiichiro's hiding in the kitchen, most likely making cake.

"Shirogane! Shi-ro-ga-ne!" Ichigo cried.

"Typical," Ryou sighed. He got up from his work and started walking to where he heard her screams. _Why do I even bother?_ he thought.

It was getting dark, and people were starting to leave the café. "Shiro-…oh! There you are!" Ichigo stated and ran up to him. "Look at everyone else," she said. "Now look at me. What makes me different from everyone else?"

"Um…" Ryou started, "youuu're…wearing pink?"

"Noooooooo…." Ichigo whined, "I'm the only one who's doing anything right!"

Ryou gave her a sarcastic surprised look. "Really?" he asked, "How does coming to me and whining make you better than everyone else? And besides, everyone looks fine to me."

Ichigo stomped her foot down, "How can you say that, Shirogane!" she was mad now. "Just look at Mint!"

"Say what?" Ryou said as he pointed behind Ichigo. Ichigo turned around to see… Mint serving customers!

"Wh-wh-wha?" Ichigo gasped, "Did you bribe her or something!"

Ryou chuckled as he walked away. "Baka Ichigo."

"If you call me a stupid strawberry one more time, I'll…"

Ryou pretended to leave, but hid behing the corner to listen.

"Oh yeah, he bribed me alright," Mint said with hands on her hips as she walked over by Ichigo, attempting to get an angry reaction.

Ichigo spat. "How could anyone bribe you? You're rich, so you can have whatever you want anyway."

Mint stuck her nose in the air, topping her next remark, "He offered me something that money could never buy."

Now Ichigo was up in her throat, "Oh yeah, and just what is that!" Ichigo almost yelled. People in the café were staring at the two now. Ryou was still listening. Mint took a step back away from the spitting strawberry and chuckled in her dismay.

"He's my boyfriend."

Ichigo's head was about the same shade as her hair. "B-b-b-boyfriend!" she squeaked.

Ryou pretended to storm in. "You two are scaring away business!" Zakuro sweat dropped. "Good thing shop hours are through," He turned his head away as if they should be ashamed of something, "and Mint, what are you trying to pull?"

"Huh?" Ichigo squeaked again.

"HAHAHA!" Mint grabbed her stomach and fell to the ground, very unlike her, "You should've seen the look on your face!" she said between snorts.

"Well," Ichigo stammered, "It's just because, it's, well, so hard to…imagine Shirogane with a girlfriend!"

"Ryou's face flushed as he left the room. Mint was still laughing. Everyone sweat dropped. She got back to her feet. "Well that was fun."

"I think you hurt Shirogane-san," Lettuce said.

"Hurt him!" Ichigo practically yelled out, "what about me? What about all of the times that he's hurt me? But when something happens to him, you get all sympathetic!"

Ryou was once around the corner listening.

Ichigo kept going on, "Why do you like him so much? I don't understand it!"

Lettuce was flustered. She tried her hardest not to blush at Ichigo's rude comments, but the poor girl just couldn't help it. "He's always been so nice to me…but nothing would ever happen, er, I mean, he's more of a friend to me than anything, and, he…just doesn't seem interested."

Mint shrugged, "I guess that's one way of looking at it. You're not exactly his type, either."

Ichigo snorted, "I don't think anyone is."

Ryou took a rather large sigh. The girls started looking around. Keiichiro, still in the kitchen, realizing what's going on, popped his head around the corner and said, "I made cake!"

Everyone hurried to the kitchen but Zakuro. She knew Ryou was hiding around the corner. As she headed for the kitchen she looked at him. "Are you coming?" she asked him. Ryou looked very surprised. Zakuro didn't wait for an answer but rather left for the kitchen. Ryou followed.

"Cake yummy, na no da!" Pudding exclaimed.

Yup, typical day at Café Mew Mew.

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Now I know this story doesn't really have a plot just yet, but the second chapter will be up pretty soon. I may just give up on formalities all together…I've never seen an episode in my life, simply only read the manga. Oh well. 


	2. The Talk

Don't hurt me for incorrect formalities! Someone please tell me if they're okay or not. If I'm doing terribly bad, I'll probably just drop them all together.

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Ichigo was walking after school on her way to the Café Mew Mew. She 'accidentally' ran into Masaya. She knew she'd find him there, but she wasn't planning on literally 'running into' him.

"Ow!" she heard a familiar voice. Just who she wanted to see. Sort of, anyway.

"Hmm? Oh, hi, Momomiya-chan," Masaya said, not expecting anything. "How's my all-time favorite kitten?"

Ichigo bit her lip and looked down at the ground. She didn't know how to start, she had to say something, but her mind went blank.

"Uhh…" Ichigo stuttered, "Aoyama-kun…"

"Yes?" He asked innocently. He placed his hands on her shoulders, but Ichigo broke away from him. A lone tear started to form in her eye, soon followed by many others. Masaya looked confused. "Ichigo-chan…"

"Aoyama, I love you so much, you've done so much for me…but…" Ichigo said between sniffles, "you're my friend nothing more, and always have been."

Masaya looked hurt, swallowed his pride, and tried to speak to her, "I don't understand. Ichigo, I love you more than anything or anyone, don't tease me like this. Is there something at work that's bothering you? We can talk about it."

Ichigo was sobbing even harder now, "I-I need a ch-challenge. We've always gotten along so well. Just too well. It seems like there's nothing there." Ichigo paused. She then spoke very quietly, almost a whisper, "I'm sorry!" and ran off. She ran and cried until she got to the café. When she burst through the doors, everyone stared at her red and tear-stained face. She started bawling again as she ran to the changing room to get her uniform on. When she got out, Ryou confronted her.

"Why are you late?" he snorted at her.

"I hate you," she said under her breath and ran to the kitchen. Ryou sighed, thinking that it was just over her paycheck and that she'd get over it. He found her with two plates, she about to serve customers. He decided to ask her again, "Why were you late?"

Ichigo huffed. "Why do you care?" she asked strain fully, "I was late whether I tell you or not, so it doesn't matter."

"Well if your reason is good, I might excuse you for being late," Ryou said with a shrug.

Ichigo paused. Did he actually care? Or did he just want to get something against her? She wanted to tell him something, not sure if the truth was the best response for her cold employer, not wanting to lie, either. But if she told him what just happened and what she just did to Masaya, he might think her foolish for getting so worked up over a boy. She drew blanks as she tried desperately for something to say to him.

"I'll assume that your crying is related to your tardiness…" Ryou's voice trailed off as Ichigo's mind blurred. 'Well, no duh,' Ichigo thought. "I um, was with, err, I mean, um…I have customers to serve!" she said quickly as she dashed past him.

Just as she left the table of costumers, Ryou confronted her again. "Tell me why," he demanded. Ichigo was about to yell at him, when the café door opened. It was Masaya(ha, you thought I got rid of him for good, didn't you?); he was panting. He must have chased after Ichigo. Masaya rushed to her, putting his arms around her. Ryou looked rather annoyed, for everyone in the café was staring at the sudden commotion.

Masaya, realizing all of the attention he caused, asked Ryou for a moment alone with Ichigo. Ryou stubbornly accepted, and the 'couple that's so perfect it could make you sick' walked outside. Ryou rushed upstairs to his bedroom and opened the window so he could hear what was going on.

Masaya was holding Ichigo in his arms and wouldn't let her go. Ichigo was sobbing again. "I don't understand you," Masaya said, "a challenge? I couldn't give you a hard time no matter how hard I tried, if that's what you mean. And how is getting along so well a problem! I say it's perfect!"

"But that's just it!" Ichigo wailed, "I don't want to be perfect! On top of being a superhero, don't you think that everything was ruined right there?"

The dark haired boy looked shocked and took a step back. Masaya struggled, searching for the right words to say to his love. He didn't understand what he had done wrong, but then he realized that that was just it. He hadn't done anything wrong, and that was just what upset Ichigo so much. Masaya choked as he forced the words out, "Now I know--and I'm sorry…" he bent over and kissed Ichigo for the last time, "I love you," and without a fight, he simply left just like that.

Ryou was also shocked. "The strawberry loves someone other that 'that boy?'" he said aloud. "Oh great," he thought, "is she going to be attracting those aliens to the café again?"

Once Masaya was out of sight, Ichigo ran back into the café.

Keiichiro heard the café door slam, and poked his head out of the kitchen to see the devastated strawberry. Ichigo say him, and ran to him in his arms. He returned the loving hug. (And no, not lover's love, brother's love, mind you). "I'm sure you did fine," Keiichiro said as soothingly as he could. Ichigo remembered the conversation they had only the night before.

FLASHBACK:

Ichigo and Keiichiro were seated at a table in the café. They seemed to be in a somewhat serious conversation.

"So what should I do?" Ichigo asked worriedly.

"Tell Aoyama-san what you just told me," Keiichiro said calmly yet seriously.

"Huh?" Ichigo didn't get it. Keiichiro didn't say anything; he knew she would get it if she thought about it long enough. For what seemed like an eternity, Ichigo finally spoke up. "So I tell him he's too perfect?" Ichigo asked innocently.

Keiichiro sweat dropped. "Well, you don't have to word it just like that," he said trying to smile, "but you could tell him what you do want."

The rest of the conversation was basically trying to find the right words for Ichigo to say to Masaya.

END FLASHBACK

They were still hugging. Ichigo was crying into Keiichiro's chest, him just trying to comfort her. People in the café were staring now, wondering what happened to the other boy. "Now whenever you're ready. He's their waiting. Just don't wait too long, you might lose him," Keiichiro whispered in her ear. "Thank you so much, Akasaka-san," Ichigo whispered back. She was finally starting to calm down. "And remember," he said, "I'm here to help you."

Keiichiro saw Ryou come down the stairs and quickly broke away from Ichigo. There was a big wet spot on his shirt from where she was crying. His face flushed as he hurried back into the kitchen. Ryou sighed, and went down into the basement without saying anything to anyone. Zakuro followed him down to the lab.

Just as Ryou was about to turn around to shut the door to the lab, he saw Zakuro standing right before him.

"What was that all about?" she asked suspiciously.

"What was what all about?" he asked back.

Zakuro leaned up against the wall knowing that she'd be there awhile. "Just now. I just think that it's odd how you walked through the café not saying a word to anyone. After all, Ichigo never did give you a reason for being late for work today…"

"But now I know…"

"Hm?"

Ryou continued, looking off to nowhere, "Now I know why….She was busy talking to 'that boy' about something."

"Something important?" Zakuro asked without changing pitch.

Ryou thought for a moment. 'You have to watch your wording around her,' he thought. "Important to her," he said.

"So you were listening in to their conversation?"

"I overheard it, yes, if that's what you mean," he answered quickly.

"Shirogane-san, I saw you run up the stairs to your room as soon as Ichigo went out the front door," Zakuro said, realizing she got him with that line.

Ryou didn't know what to say. There wasn't anything that he could come up with to say. He knew that if he said anything, he couldn't fool her. She had him figured out, and he knew it. He walked over to his laptop and sat down.

"Café hours are over," Zakuro said, noticing that Ryou wasn't going to say anything more, "The place is cleaned up for the night. So as long as there aren't any aliens attacking, I'll be going home?"

"You may leave," Ryou said after checking the scanner.

"See you tomorrow, then," she said as she departed from the café.

"Who am I kidding?" Ryou said under his breath. He walked into the main part of the café to see…Ichigo sitting down staring out the window waiting for her ride home.(Yes, I know she's not six, but work with me here!)Everyone else had already left except for her.

"Later than usual," Ryou said to her.

Keiichiro walked out of the kitchen to where they were. "Are you sure you have a ride coming?" he asked.

Ichigo looked as though she was about to answer him, when she decided to get her cell-phone out instead. Ryou and Keiichiro sweat dropped. Ichigo called her house. Her mother answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Mom, it's Ichigo. Are you coming to pick me up from work?"

"Oh, my gosh!" I'm so sorry! The car is in the shop and I should've called you! I'm so sorry!"

She continued going on about what a horrible person she was when Ichigo simply hung up the phone and stuck it back in her pocket. "Looks like I'll be walking home tonight," she said.

"I'll walk you home," both men said in unison. There was an uncomfortable silence. Keiichiro nudged Ryou forward. A puzzled expression grew on Ryou's face as he said, "I'll walk you home."

Ichigo grabbed his hand and went for the door. "Then let's go!" she urged him. Keiichiro smiled as they left, the thought of them holding hands cheered him, even if it only was for a short time.

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Readers: YEAH! Masaya's gone!

Me: HAHA! We'll just see about that!

Readers: Aw…

Announcer: Is Masaya really gone? Does everyone seriously hate him? Or are there actually people who care? Find out sometime and Review!

Can someone tell me if Ichigo's mom knows about her being a superhero? I'm not sure...


	3. Walk Home

-1Okay, I know that I'm layering it on thick with Ryou's feelings for Ichigo, especially in this chapter. If you're KxI, don't hurt me! They're probably be something later. I've got most of the story written out, I just have to type it! I didn't know if Ichigo's mom knew about her being a mew, so bear with me, she does in this story. I also threw in some lines from Switchfoot's _Stars_.

Disclaimer: me no own Tokyo mew mew. Get it straight, yall. I don't own Switchfoot, or Stars.

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Ichigo and Ryou were walking down the street. More silence. Ichigo hated that. Her mind raced as she searched for something to say to the blonde that gave her so much trouble. She could feel her chances slipping through her fingers. Ryou, on the other hand, didn't mind the silence. It felt awkward, yes, walking with Ichigo and not have anything to say. But at least he was with her. 

"Umm…" Ichigo tried to start, "I'm sorry for being late for work today, like any day…" her voice started to shake towards the end as she remembered what happened that day between her and Masaya.

Ryou shrugged it off. "Naw, it's okay," he said without looking at her, "I'm sure there was…a reason for it." He stopped talking right there. 'I can't let her know I was listening in to their conversation. Then she'll really hate me,' he thought.

'Is Shirogane actually being nice to me?' Ichigo asked herself. "Do you want to know?" she asked Ryou.

"Do I want to know why you were late?" Ryou asked. Ichigo nodded. "Is it important?"

"It's important to me," Ichigo stated, "Well, whether you care or not, I'll tell you." Ryou patiently listened, even though he knew half of the story. "The reason why Aoyama-kun busted into the café today was for the same reason I was late."

"So, you were late because of 'that boy'?" Ryou pretended to ask, even though he knew.

"Yes, but let me finish!" Ichigo exclaimed, "cuz, it's not like…there's anything…" She started to choke on her words as her eyes became warm with tears.

"That would be the third time today, now wouldn't it?" Ryou said jokingly.

Ichigo gasped at his last remark and started running from him. Ryou realized the effect of his comment and silently scolded himself. "Ichigo, wait!" he yelled as he began to chase after her. They weren't even half-way to Ichigo's house and he knew that she would become tired quickly, being merged with a cat and all. Ryou looked down at the ground as he ran. He could see tear-drops in the concrete. He looked back up and saw that he was gaining on her. There was also something else he noticed: **her cat ears and tail had popped out**. Ryou ran even harder until he caught up to her. She was too tired to run anymore.

"You need your rest," Ryou said as he picked up Ichigo. She was too weak to fight back. She murmured something as she fell asleep in his arms. Ryou carried her the rest of the way home. He looked down at her and noticed a last teardrop slide down her face. By the time they reached her house, Ichigo's cat 'accessories,' were gone. As much as he'd rather take her up to her room and place her in her bed, he decided against it, worried of what her mother might think of him.

"Ichigo," he whispered to her, "Ichigo, wake up!" He shook her gently. "You don't want to worry your mother," Ryou said in a normal tone. He shook her again. She began to murmur in her sleep. "Oh, great," Ryou said aloud, "she won't wake up but she'll talk."

Ryou shook her again, figuring that he wasn't getting anywhere with her slurs. Ichigo twitched, and her eyes began to open. She saw two blue eyes staring into her brown ones. Ichigo shrieked and leapt out of his arms.

"Calm down," Ryou said, "You fell asleep, so I carried you home."

"Oh," Ichigo said, looking down at the ground, "then, thanks, I guess…"

Ryou started walking back to the café. "I'll see you tomorrow, and don't be late!"

Ichigo didn't respond, but rather went inside her house. As soon as she walked through the door, her mother rushed to her. "Oh goodness!" her mother was about to squeeze her to death. "I should've called you! I'm such a terrible mother! And yet I was so worried about you coming home!" She pushed Ichigo away for a moment to ask, "Who was that boy, who walked you home? He's cute."

Ichigo looked away, "My employer, Shirogane Ryou."

"Oh," her mother responded. She paused to think about it for a moment. "Oh, I'm sorry. For a moment I forgot about Aoyama-kun…"

Ichigo cut her off, "So why'd you have to remember!"

Her mother was surprised by the sudden outburst from her daughter. "Why? I thought you two…"

Ichigo cut her off again, "It's over, Mom." her eyes were getting red. She just wanted to forget about him…But it was so hard…"A-and it w-wasn't him, Mom," Ichigo tried to say, "it was me…" She was sobbing again.

"But _why_? He was so sweet, so good to you," her mother asked in confusion.

"That baka employer of mine!" Ichigo pretty much screamed.(Don't take that the wrong way. Notes at bottom.) She was rubbing her head in her hands. Her mother made her sit down. She cried on her mother's shoulder, her trying to calm her down. "Well, I didn't know that kitties cried," she tried to say playfully. Ichigo reached for the top of her head to find two cat ears. "M-Mom!" It began to thunder outside. As soon as Ichigo heard it, she shrieked.

"I think my strawberry kitten needs her rest," her mother said as she made her go to her room, "Good-night."

Ryou was walking back to Café Mew Mew, the big, pink, sweetshop that he called home. He was replaying the scene that just happened over and over in his head. _'That would be the third time today, now wouldn't it?' 'Can't I go five minutes without making a smart remark?'_

Ryou heard the thunder. _'I bet it'll rain soon.'_

_**/Maybe I've been the problem/Maybe I'm the one to blame/But even when I turn it off and blame myself/The outcome feels the same./**_

It began to rain. Ryou turned into Alto, thinking he'd be able to run faster in his cat form.

_**/I've been thinking maybe I've been part of the cloudy/Maybe I'm the chance of rain/And maybe I'm overcast/And maybe all my luck's washed down the drain./**_

Once Alto got to the café he was drenched. He turned back into Ryou and walked through the door.

"Keiichiro, why are you still here?" Ryou asked, surprised that his friend hadn't gone home yet.

He didn't answer him. Instead he replied, "Ryou, you're sopping wet!" Ryou looked down at himself, he was soaked.

"Oh, Ryou, I almost forgot," Keiichiro said, "after you dry off, come down to the lab, I have something to show you that may be important--why the mews can't leave…"

Ryou went straight down to the basement. He didn't care that he was wet. On his way, he muttered, "What could it be? Deep Blue was defeated not too long ago…." He stopped as he got to the computer. He couldn't speak. Finally he managed an, "Oh…oh, no…"

* * *

Anything in any of the chapters between lines is important. 

Oh before I forget, later on there'll be a better explanation for why Ichigo broke up with Masaya. But that won't be till much later.

See ya!


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